In many seat belt retractors, a ratchet formed on the seat belt retractor is engageable during periods of rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle by a pawl which prevents further withdrawal of the seat belt from the retractor housing but which, during periods of modest acceleration or none at all, is typically biased by gravity into a nonengaging position. The freely movable pawl, when not engaged with the seat belt by the urging of the inertial device which responds to vehicle acceleration and deceleration to actuate the pawl, is responsive to vibration of the vehicle, and, unless muffled or suppressed, can produce a rattling noise which may vary from merely disturbing to the driver and passengers who are unable to identify the noise, to disquieting to those who identify it as emanating from the operating parts of the seat belt retractors.
It is accordingly the object of this invention to provide a noise suppressing improvement for seat belt retractor mechanisms of the kind described.